Dear Families:
Thank you for attending one of the Back-to-School Night sessions last Thursday. I know all of us are getting really tired of anything virtual but it is always important for teachers and parents to be able to communicate. I know the teachers were very appreciative of the chance to give you information about their programs. I feel confident that we will be able to have in-person Parent Teacher Conferences at the end of October. I know it will be nice for the teachers to be able to talk directly with parents.
We have heard from a few parents that the uniform sweatshirts that they ordered from Dennis Uniform and/or Land’s End are on backorder. Their children are starting to get cold during the school days with cooler temperatures and classroom windows open for increased ventilation. We have a couple of options for those who do not have sweatshirts: Jennifer Hazzard will be having a mini-uniform exchange opportunity this coming Thursday, September 23rd from 3:00pm – 3:30pm in Banchero Hall. Gently used uniforms will be available for you to choose from. If you cannot find a sweatshirt for your child, they are welcome to wear a plain blue or green sweatshirt until their St. Anne ones arrive.
Our annual Blessing of the Animals is scheduled to take place on Friday, October 1st at 2:30pm. Typically, we gather in Banchero Hall with the menagerie that is created by pets of all size and kind. Since we are unable to gather such a large group inside this year, we ask that children bring a picture of their pet and we will gather with just the students in Banchero Hall. We’ve explored options to hold the blessing outside or with multiple groups and each presented too many obstacles. The animals will be blessed but from a distance.
Just a reminder that there is no supervision of students on the playground at morning drop-off before 8:10am. If you happen to arrive early and the teacher/staff member is not yet on duty, please do not leave. We have seen instances over the past couple of weeks where students are dropped off and left without supervision.
Finally, thank you again to the parents, teachers and students who remained calm during our dismissal last Wednesday when a man was thought to be cleaning a gun at 2nd and Lee St. across from the school. Thank you to some eagle-eyed parents who noticed the situation and alerted the school immediately. I was so proud of how the staff implemented our safety procedures by getting any students who hadn’t left school yet, safely and securely inside the building. Others checked that all exit doors were locked and that no students were unaccompanied elsewhere in the building. Calling 911 was efficient and the Seattle Police Dept. responded in a very timely manner with four patrol cars. All was found to be fine and we were never in any danger as the firearm turned out to be an air-gun. The police alerted us that there was no need for any restrictions and all was safe. They stayed with the gentleman for over an hour before both he and the police officers left the area. Let’s hope that is the last “close-call” we ever have to experience!
Have a great week.
Mary
